library

Library books on shelves. (Getty Images)

Arkansas librarians meet for annual conference amid censorship pressures

BY: - October 12, 2023

Library administrators and staff from across Arkansas are gathering in Hot Springs this weekend for an annual conference, at a time when librarians in some parts of the state are under pressure to remove or relocate books pertaining to controversial subjects. The Arkansas Library Association (ArLA), a chapter of the American Library Association, is a […]

The "social section" in Crawford County Library's Van Buren branch (Screenshot from court documents)

Judge denies motions in suit over Arkansas county’s library practices

BY: - September 12, 2023

A lawsuit against Crawford County officials over the placement of library books with LGBTQ+ themes remained active Tuesday after a federal judge in Fayetteville denied motions from both the plaintiffs and the county. Crawford County residents and library patrons Rebecka Virden, Nina Prater, Samantha Rowlett and their minor children sued the county judge, quorum court, […]

A majority of the books being challenged in school and community libraries are written by authors who are people of color, LGBTQ, Black and Indigenous, and feature characters from marginalized groups. (Getty Images)

Federal judge temporarily blocks two sections of Arkansas’ library obscenity law

BY: - July 29, 2023

A federal judge temporarily blocked portions of the law that would have changed how Arkansas libraries handle controversial material and put the availability of certain books in the hands of elected officials. U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks granted plaintiffs’ request to enjoin two of the five sections of Act 372 of 2023, which would alter […]

Saline County officials move to tighten their authority over library hiring and budget

BY: - June 6, 2023

Library Director Patty Hector‘s name was mud at the Saline County Courthouse Monday night, as the county judge, Quorum Court members and a roster of riled Republicans condemned her ongoing refusal to remove books from the young people’s section. Justice of the Peace Josh Curtis introduced an ordinance to give the county judge power to […]

State of Arkansas and Crawford County sued over library obscenity law

BY: - June 2, 2023

The Central Arkansas Library System and 17 other plaintiffs filed a federal lawsuit Friday against both the state and Crawford County, alleging that two sections of a new law that directly affects library operations are unconstitutional. Act 372 of 2023 alters libraries’ material reconsideration processes and creates criminal liability for librarians who distribute content that […]

17 plaintiffs plan to challenge Arkansas’ library obscenity law

BY: - May 25, 2023

The Central Arkansas Library System and 16 other plaintiffs plan to sue the state of Arkansas over two sections of a new law that changes how libraries handle material that some consider “obscene.” The CALS board of directors voted Thursday to file a federal lawsuit challenging the portions of Act 372 of 2023 that alter […]

COMMENTARY

Yanking books off library shelves doesn’t really ‘protect children’

BY: - May 17, 2023

The puritanical extremists who’ve taken over the Saline County Republican Party aren’t satisfied with getting the county governing body to terrorize their local library.  They’ve now launched an offensive public offensive to “Stop X-Rated books at the Saline County Library” via a billboard next to the Walmart in Benton. The billboard directs readers to a […]

Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA) (Drew Angerer/Getty

GOP bill establishing a federal parental bill of rights passed in U.S. House

BY: - March 24, 2023

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans on Friday passed a bill designed to empower parents to inspect books and other teaching materials in local public schools, but Democrats sharply criticized the measure, saying it would censor teachers and ban books. The legislation, called the Parents Bill of Rights, passed on a 213-208 vote. It would codify […]

COMMENTARY
Library books on shelves. (Getty Images)

Libraries serve communities, not aggrieved parents.

BY: - December 19, 2022

Libraries hold a conflicted place our collective imagination. To many of us — to me personally — they’re magical. We were first exposed to worlds of imagination and ideas on the shelves of our local libraries. To others, these buildings serve as indispensable community gathering spots, places to learn and meet and share. But to […]

Craighead County, Jonesboro voters approve decrease in library property tax

BY: - November 8, 2022

JONESBORO – Voters in both the city of Jonesboro and Craighead County favored decreasing the Craighead County Public Library’s millage from 2 mills to 1 mill on Tuesday. This was one of the more hotly debated issues of the election, which saw a vast increase in voter turnout this year, county election officials said. It […]

An ‘unprecedented flood’ of book bans engulfs U.S. school districts, PEN report says

BY: - September 19, 2022

WASHINGTON — More than 1,600 book titles across 32 states were banned from public schools during the 2021-2022 school year, with the bulk of the ban requests coming from a handful of right-wing groups pushing for censorship of books that feature LGBTQ+ characters and characters of color, a new report issued Monday said. “What I […]